Exam format
PTE Exam Pattern 2026
The complete PTE Academic format: three parts, 22 task types and the exact timing of each, updated for the 7 August 2025 changes.
At a glance
- parts
- 3
- task types
- 22
- questions
- 52–64
- total time
- ~2h 15m
Part 1 — Speaking and Writing
The longest and most score-sensitive part, running 54 to 67 minutes. It opens with a personal introduction that is not scored, then moves through the seven Speaking tasks and the two Writing tasks. Because Speaking and Writing share a part, the timer covers both: overrunning on the essay does not extend the section.
Part 2 — Reading
A standalone section of 13 to 18 questions in 29 to 30 minutes across five task types. Both Fill in the Blanks types carry the heaviest weight here, and Reading & Writing: Fill in the Blanks also feeds your Writing score. You cannot return to this section once you leave it.
Part 3 — Listening
Twelve to twenty questions in 30 to 43 minutes across eight task types. Every recording plays exactly once. Write from Dictation sits at the end and feeds both Listening and Writing, which is why it repays practice out of proportion to its length.
What changed in August 2025
Two Speaking tasks were added — Respond to a Situation and Summarize Group Discussion — and Write Essay returned to human expert review. If a preparation resource does not mention both of these, it describes the previous format.
The three parts, in order
- Part 1Speaking54–67 min · 7 task typesSpeaking sits inside Part 1 alongside Writing. Since the August 2025 update it contains seven scored task types — two of them brand new. Every recording is marked on content, oral fluency and pronunciation, and fluency carries more weight than most test-takers expect.
- Part 1Writing54–67 min · 2 task typesWriting shares Part 1 with Speaking. There are two task types: a one-sentence summary and a full essay. Since August 2025 Write Essay is reviewed by human experts for development, coherence and language use, so template-only answers no longer score well.
- Part 2Reading29–30 min · 5 task typesReading is a standalone timed section of 13-18 questions. It rewards grammar, logic and comprehension more than raw vocabulary, and the two Fill in the Blanks task types carry the heaviest Reading weight.
- Part 3Listening30–43 min · 8 task typesListening is the final section: 12-20 questions across eight task types, with audio that plays only once. Write from Dictation feeds both your Listening and Writing scores, which makes it the highest-value single task in the exam.
Frequently asked questions
Related pages
- How PTE Scoring WorksHow PTE Academic scoring actually works: the 10-90 scale, integrated scoring across skills, enabling skills, and what changed in August 2025.
- PTE SyllabusThe full PTE Academic syllabus broken down by section and task type, with what each task actually assesses and how much it is worth.
- PTE PracticePractise every PTE Academic task type with real exam timing and instant marking. Start with the task that will move your score the most.
- Free PTE Mock TestSit a full-length PTE Academic mock test under real timing across all three parts, then see a predicted band for each of the four skills.